My Billionaire Stranger (7 page)

I don’t know how to respond to his outburst of honesty. Silence hangs between us and my heart constricts; he seems so alone right now, and it’s then I realize he
is
alone. He has no family other than his sister, whom he has some serious problems with. He has employees that are petrified of him, and no girlfriend or wife at his bedside. Marcus Castillo is completely alone in the world, and I have a feeling he’s made it this way on purpose. Until now that is…until his mind wasn’t in control of his body; until me…

Chapter 9

I sit on the edge of Marcus’s bed and stroke his arm while I hold his hand. He tenses slightly staring at our hands as he caresses his thumb over my knuckles slowly, his touch burning like fire and electricity combined. How am I going to get out of here and home to shower, I can hardly make myself leave the room to get him breakfast, let alone go all the way home. Marcus is looking at me with anticipation in his eyes; the flashing emotions that continuously cross his face worry me.

“Marcus, I’m going to try and run home to shower and eat, but I promise I’ll come right back.” 

“Do you have to? What do you mean by
try
?”

Ok decision time- do I let him know how he affects me? Like a super nova, exploding in space, outshining the entire galaxy? Should I explain why it’s been an effort to leave his side every second since I first lay eyes him in that bed? Or should I keep my heart safe and stay quiet? I’ve never had feelings like this before, and for a virtual stranger at that! It’s ridiculous that I’m having trouble tearing myself away.  Men have pursued me throughout my life, and I’ve shot them down immediately every time, even if my body reacts positively my mind rejects anything more than friendship from a man. Marcus unknowingly stormed the stone wall around my heart demolishing it thoroughly. Maybe that was the key, the slow progression of my introduction to him while he was unconscious. I was allowed to explore his physical presence without fear, with no response or judgment. I don’t know how it happened but it did, so I plunge in feet first and admit my feelings….

“It’s hard for me to leave you, it has been since I first saw you in that bed, so when I say
try
, I mean it takes a conscious effort to go.” So there it is, let’s see what he does with it. He’ll probably think I’m a needy, clingy nutcase. 

Marcus, props himself on one elbow letting go of my hand. Shit, this isn't good, but it’s only for a moment before he reaches out to tuck a long strand of loose hair behind my ear. He feathers the back of his fingers down my cheek, resting his hand right above my breast.  My heart stops beating, I don’t think I’m breathing…. “I do not want you to go, I can’t explain it, I don’t know a thing about you, but I am drawn to you. I realize you cannot hold vigil at my bedside, but I need you to come back today, soon if you can…. Please,” he says
please
like its foreign and painful, but he said it. Breathe Imani, shit my heart is pounding so hard he must hear it. But he feels the same way, or at least it sounds like it. Relief spreads through my body, warm and comforting.

“I’ll be back in an hour, one hour, I promise.”  I hold up one finger for emphasis. Being a nurse I know that it eases a patient’s anxiety if you give them a specific time that you will return. Wrinkling his brow he bites that sexy, full bottom lip for a long moment he finally concedes.

“Ok, an hour- one, I do not want that other nurse giving me a bed bath.”

I smile wide and giggle, “Don’t worry, you won’t get a bath unless it’s from me.”

“All right, go! The sooner you go, the sooner you will come back to me.”

“So now your pushing me out the door huh?” I tease, his face darkens and I realize that was not the best choice of words.

“I’m kidding, just kidding,”

“I know, hurry up,” he commands, and something strange and possibly insane in me makes me happy to comply. He smooth’s his hand from where it’s been resting over my wildly beating heart to the swell of my breast, down to my waist  before he nudges me up. I rise from the bed and back out of the room closing the door with a soft click after one last look at him. I scan the hall in both directions before I make a beeline for the elevator to avoid a new onslaught of questions from Courtney.

When I step out of the hospital I feel like I’m emerging from a thick fog…the Marcus fog… I check my phone for the first time since leaving the club last night. Fourteen missed calls and ten texts good lord. All of them are from of the girls but most from Lana.
Where the hell did you go? Who woke up? Imani!!! Answer me
!!
And on and on- I shoot a quick group text back to them;
I’m fine, don’t worry, it was a patient at work sorry, I’ll call you later.
There, I pray that appeases Lana, I can’t talk about any of this right now, I don’t even know what the hell I’d say.
Uh yea, this crazy gorgeous patient I’ve been flirting with while he’s been in a coma for eight days woke up and decided he couldn’t live without me so I had to go
! Even thinking it makes me feel insane. I check around me for strangers while I walk to my car, a habit I’ve perfected after ten years of looking over my shoulder. I press the button on my key fob to unlock the doors and hop in quickly re-locking immediately before heading home. My anxiety stems from knowing one of my kidnappers is still out there…somewhere living with the knowledge that I could identify him. My one saving grace is the reconstructive surgery on my face, I pray he wouldn’t recognize me if he saw me today. The attack was so damaging that I had to have plastic surgery to eat, speak or even breathe properly.

The morning is brisk and my entire body is covered with goose bumps when I finally unlock the door to my apartment. Shower…I really need a nice warm shower; sitting in a hospital chair in club clothes all night has left me feeling grimy and sore. After a much shorter shower then I’d like and quickly braiding my wet hair I throw on some jeans, a cashmere sweater and comfy Sperry’s. Heels are definitely out for a while, twelve hours in stilettos has done a number on my poor feet. It’s been forty minutes when I grab my purse and dash out the door, I only have twenty minutes to prevent another meltdown. As irrational as it is I know in my bones that he will lose it if I’m late. I gave him a specific time so he wouldn’t panic and I have to be punctual or security will be getting their morning workout in room eight.

Courtney stops me on my way to Marcus’s room. “Wow, you left and came back already? You don’t work tonight? And it’s only noon anyway.” Oh god, how can I explain what I’m doing here when I don’t even know myself? I go with the truth, or at least a partial truth, “He asked me to come back. Did anybody call his sister last night?” I ask.

“Yea, I think Sheila did, no answer though.”

“And she hasn’t been by today either?”

“Nope, which is weird too because she’s always here at nine.”

“Did Sheila leave a message?”

“Yea I think so, why?”

“Oh nothing, I just wanted to make sure she knew he was awake, I promised her I’d call right away but it was kinda hectic last night and I wasn’t on duty,” I lie. I’m really just curious about why Marcus said not to call her.

“I think they are talking about moving him to a regular floor now that he’s not critical anymore,” Courtney offers.

“Oh…that’s great,” I say with absolutely no enthusiasm; if he leaves my floor someone else will be taking care of him, and now I’m the one panicking.

“I better go see how he is.”

“Ok, Traci is his nurse today if he needs anything.”

“Ok.” I work my way down the bustling hall to his room, and when I enter he’s sitting up in bed with his laptop on his bed side table dark rimmed reading glasses propped on his head and various papers organized in neat piles around him. He looks up from concentrating and I see pure relief in those bright green eyes of his. The connection between us is undeniable and immediate, I approach him casually as if we’ve been friends forever and make myself at home draping my coat over the back of the chair next to his bed.

“You came back,” he says softly.

“I said I would.”

“You look beautiful, I like your hair braided, and actually I’d love to pull it.” His eyes darken with lust.

“Thank you…  I think, and you’d better watch yourself Mr. Castillo.” I fold my arms over my chest and raise an eyebrow. This game of
you’re not effecting me
is getting harder every minute. I wait for some sort of response as he continues to probe me with his sharp green eyes. I feel my body lean toward him when I notice a fragile circle of purple around the edge of his irises. Everything about this man sucks me in and that tiny bit of purple hypnotizes me for a moment before I become uncomfortable under his intense stare. I cross my legs and fidget in my chair. Shit he’s good at this, he knows how he’s making me feel and he loves it. A broad, panty-melting smile spreads across his face and he chuckles quietly. He looks away abandoning his hold on me, momentarily breaking the spell as he gathers up his papers. When everything has been cleared he pats the bed beside him inviting me to sit with him…uh is he
nuts?
I
never
voluntarily go that close to a man unless he is my patient,
ever.
Technically he is my patient but not right now. This is so confusing! Add to that
the one time I did get up close and personal while he was awake he curled my toes with his kiss and I am officially flustered.

“What, you want me to sit on the bed?” I ask, unable to control the rise in my voice.

“Yes. I do,” he says, the timbre of his voice is filled with authority and like earlier I actually
want
to comply. It’s not a good idea with his leg in a cast not to mention I could loose my job for fraternizing with my patient.

“Um, I think I’m good right where I am, y... you know, your broken leg and all,” I stutter. God I am completely embarrassed at my lack of composure.

“Sit. Here. Now.” he repeats, with a poignant pause after each word. He is
so
not used to being told no.

“No,” I snap defiantly. What the hell is wrong with me?

“Oh nurse Imani, when I get out of this cast you will regret saying no to me, and for making me repeat myself.”

“Oh really? Well you’d better get used to it if you want me to stick around, I don’t take kindly to bossiness.” I fidget again in my seat. Surprisingly I’m kind of turned on by the bossiness and I’d actually like nothing more than to crawl into that bed with him and touch every single muscle on his hard, sexy body, but I don’t dare admit it, his head is big enough as is. I wonder if he remembers me touching him when he was unconscious? The fact that I’m even thinking about it floors me. Marcus is the first man I’ve touched intimately since I was attacked. I had boyfriends in high school, but I never slept with them. The only thing I’ve ever associated sex with is violence, pain and suffering, and Marcus’s words just now sure sounded like a threat. But somehow I know he wouldn’t hurt me,
ever.
Unfolding my arms and crossing my legs in the opposite direction I wait to see what’s coming next. Maybe a change in subject would help.

“So, I hear they may transfer you to another floor since you’re doing so well.” I say smiling sweetly. Well that did it, he’s taken by surprise and there’s no more smoldering- he obviously didn’t know this bit of information. After a few moments of stewing his face brightens. “Imani, I have a proposition for you.”  Oh no, shit I thought I had successfully steered us away from the come ons. “I want you to come home with me and be my private nurse, I will pay you triple what you are earning here and you can have your own wing of the estate.” What? Is he serious?
Wing
of the
estate
? I knew he was wealthy but
wing
of the estate?? Shit, I can’t quit my job, I am not quitting my job, I’ve worked here since I graduated from nursing school 10 years ago!

“That’s a very generous offer, but I couldn’t leave my job here, I love it. It’s all I’ve ever known, and your leg won’t be broken forever, what would happen then?”

“I will have my lawyers draw up a contract with the hospital so you can come back when my leg is healed, kind of like a leave of absence,” he says, like it’s no big deal. Maybe other people can just take another job and come back when they see fit, but not in my world. I don’t care for change and that’s one hell of a change!

“You can’t do that, administration will never go for it.”

“You must have a hearing problem nurse Imani, no one tells me no, they will do it. I will make all of the arrangements, you will go home with me when I am discharged, I will send someone to collect your things from your place and move you into my house.” Fuck this guy is incorrigible! He’s totally rearranging my life in his mind, drawing up a contract, having me go home with him, moving my stuff into his house, I can’t believe this… I can’t just uproot my life for a stranger, even a dark, brooding, mysterious, gorgeous stranger! I can just hear Lana now, “Why the hell not, he’s hot, rich and obviously has a thing for you, what’s the problem?!” It’s just so
much
, and he acts like it’s nothing.

“Really Marcus I can’t, I love my job and my apartment. I’ve been on my own for a long time, I have a life, friends, and family and I’m not going to leave all that, I don’t even know you.” Clenching his jaw and pressing his lips together he shoves his hand through his hair, wincing when he skims the cut on his head. I can see how much he wants this, or perhaps it’s how much he hates being refused. He ponders his problem silently for a while and I’m actually starting to feel a little guilty. Who
is
going to take care of him at home?
Ah hell, he’s loaded, he can hire any nurse to come and help him…
that brings my mind to a screeching halt,
any
nurse. No way, I don’t want anyone else helping him; I need to come up with something else fast.